Knicks Re-Sign Isaiah Roby To Exhibit 10 Deal
After clearing waivers on Friday, free agent forward/center Isaiah Roby has re-signed with the Knicks on an Exhibit 10 contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).
Roby signed a multiyear deal with New York on the final day of the 2022/23 regular season. The 25-year-old spent most of last season with the Spurs, appearing in 42 games and averaging 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per night before being released in early March. He spent his first three NBA seasons with Oklahoma City.
Roby’s multiyear contract was non-guaranteed for 2023/24, but he remained in camp with the Knicks as he vied for a spot on the 15-man regular season roster. By waiving him on Wednesday, New York signaled that he wouldn’t claim one of those spots, but bringing him back on an Exhibit 10 deal suggests the team wants to keep him in its system. Roby is eligible to be named an affiliate player for the Westchester Knicks in the G League.
If Roby had been owed more than $75K in guaranteed money when he was cut by the Knicks, he would’ve been ineligible to play for Westchester, but his salary was entirely non-guaranteed.
He’ll likely be waived again later today, putting him on track to join New York’s G League team, where he’ll receive a $75K Exhibit 10 bonus if he remains with the club for at least 60 days. The Knicks have a pair of two-way slots available, but Roby is ineligible for a two-way deal due to his four years of NBA experience.
Wizards Cut Devon Dotson, Michael Foster Jr.
The Wizards announced a pair of roster cuts overnight, waiving guard Devon Dotson and forward Michael Foster Jr. (Twitter link).
Both moves had been anticipated. Dotson and Foster signed Exhibit 10 contracts with the club and are expected to report to the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G League affiliate. Spending at least 60 days with the Go-Go would ensure they receive bonuses worth up to $75K.
Foster, 20, averaged 13.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 24.3 minutes per contest in 41 appearances last season for the Delaware Blue Coats, posting a shooting line of .519/.254/.693. He continued to play a rotation role for the club en route to its NBAGL championship in the spring, then had his rights traded to the Go-Go earlier this month.
Dotson, 24, has appeared in 28 games over three seasons with the Bulls and Wizards, holding modest averages of 2.0 PPG and 1.1 APG in 6.7 MPG. Last season, the former Kansas star spent a couple of months on a two-way deal with Washington, having been waived in January. While he only appeared in six games for the Wizards in 2022/23, Dotson had a solid regular season showing for the Go-Go, averaging 14.8 PPG, 6.1 APG, 4.4 RPG and 1.2 SPG on .529/.392/.814 shooting in 29 games (31.7 MPG).
The Wizards now have 19 players under contract — 17 with guaranteed salaries and a pair on two-way contracts.
Nets Sign, Waive Kennedy Chandler, Patrick Gardner
October 21: The Nets waived both Chandler and Gardner, the team announced (Twitter link via Spotrac’s Keith Smith).
October 19: The Nets have signed guard Kennedy Chandler and center Patrick Gardner, according to the team (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).
In all likelihood, both players received Exhibit 10 contracts that will make them eligible for bonuses worth up to $75K if they’re waived by Brooklyn and then spend at least 60 days with the Long Island Nets. Neither player’s G League rights are held by another team, so the Nets will be able to make them both affiliate players. Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted to two-way contracts, and Brooklyn does have an open two-way slot.
Chandler, the 38th overall pick in the 2022 draft, signed a four-year contract with the Grizzlies last July that included three guaranteed seasons. However, the team opted to waive him in April to make room on the roster for Kenneth Lofton, eating his salaries for 2023/24 and ’24/25.
As a rookie, Chandler appeared in 36 NBA games, averaging 2.2 points and 1.6 assists in 7.8 minutes per night. He was more effective in 12 G League games with the Memphis Hustle (15.3 PPG, 6.2 APG) and this summer with Brooklyn’s Summer League team (14.0 PPG, 5.4 APG), though he continued to struggle with his outside shot — after hitting just 24.0% of 4.2 attempts per game in the NBAGL last season, he made 2-of-14 (14.3%) in Las Vegas.
Gardner, meanwhile, reached his Exhibit 10 agreement with the Nets back in July after playing for the Heat in Summer League and before representing Egypt at the World Cup. The big man, who transferred to Marist for his final year of college ball, averaged 19.1 points and 6.6 rebounds in 30.9 minutes per game (33 games) in 2022/23. He also had a three-point percentage of 38.3%, an impressive mark for a 6’11” frontcourt player.
Brooklyn had only been carrying 18 players on its preseason roster, so no cuts were necessary to make room for Chandler and Gardner. The club still has one opening on its 21-man squad.
Bucks Waive Glenn Robinson III, Two Others
The Bucks have trimmed their preseason roster in advance of the regular season, waiving forward Glenn Robinson III, swingman Elijah Hughes, and guard Kihei Clark, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.
Robinson, who has appeared in over 300 NBA regular season games since making his debut in 2014, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Milwaukee on Thursday after being out of the league for the last two years. It appears the 29-year-old is on track to join the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks’ G League affiliate, as he pursues an NBA comeback.
That also figures to be the plan for Hughes and Clark, who also signed non-guaranteed camp deals on Thursday. The Exhibit 10 language in their contracts entitles them to bonuses worth as much as $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the Herd.
Following the cuts, the Bucks now have 18 players under contract — 15 on guaranteed contracts, a pair on two-way pacts, and big man Marques Bolden on an Exhibit 10 deal.
Milwaukee could set its regular season roster by converting Bolden to a two-way contract, though it’s not clear whether that will happen or whether additional moves could be in store before Monday’s regular season roster deadline.
Atlantic Notes: Barnes, O. Porter, Harden, Beverley, Celtics
Third-year Raptors forward Scottie Barnes exited Friday’s preseason finale against the Wizards with a sprained right foot and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.
The former Rookie of the Year appeared to roll his ankle/foot on a non-contact play, as Esfandiar Baraheni of SDPN relays (Twitter video link). However, after the game, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic downplayed the injury, telling reporters that Barnes is “completely fine,” per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link).
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- After missing most of last season due to a foot injury, Raptors forward Otto Porter Jr. returned to action on Friday, playing for the first time since November 14, notes Lewenberg (Twitter link). As Murphy tweets, Rajakovic is enthusiastic about Porter’s fit on the roster, but said the team will be “careful” about how it uses him following his extended layoff, prioritizing his long-term health.
- Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required) suggests that the Bulls and Heat could be potential trade partners for the Sixers if their James Harden negotiations with the Clippers remain at an impasse. However, Pompey isn’t citing any sources saying that Chicago or Miami is actually talking to Philadelphia, so it sounds more like speculation than anything solid. Harden remained away from the 76ers on Friday and missed the preseason finale due to what the club is calling a personal matter.
- Patrick Beverley, who joined the Sixers as a free agent this summer, has taken on a familiar role of veteran leader and defensive spark-plug, Pompey writes in another article for The Inquirer. Beverley’s leadership has impressed his new head coach. “He’s putting in a tremendous amount of work pre- and post-practice,” Nick Nurse said. “He really, really does a good job of organizing, and that’s important. We need a veteran guy that can get us organized, settled down, and all those kinds of things and then he’s a got a little bit on the other end, too.”
- In a mailbag for NBC Sports Boston, Chris Forsberg considers what the Celtics‘ regular season rotation might look like, evaluating which players beyond the team’s top eight might emerge as reliable contributors.
Rory Maher contributed to this post.
Warriors Waive Rudy Gay, Rodney McGruder
The Warriors have officially waived forward Rudy Gay and swingman Rodney McGruder, the team announced following the conclusion of Friday’s preseason finale (Twitter press release).
Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), who first reported the cuts, say that Golden State will open the season with just 13 players on standard contracts for added roster and financial flexibility, and will plan to add a 14th man within the first two weeks of the season. That player will likely be signed to a non-guaranteed contract.
Under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, a team is permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks and up to 28 total days in a given season. That means if the Warriors don’t fill that 14th roster spot until two weeks into the season, they’d only be permitted to dip to 13 players again for up to 14 more days for the rest of the season.
Gay and McGruder, both NBA veterans, were believed to fighting for a single roster spot, but neither player earned significant playing time during the preseason. Gay registered four points and seven rebounds in 15 total minutes across two contests, while McGruder appeared in just one game, putting up eight points and five rebounds in 20 minutes.
Given that the Warriors will need to sign a 14th man soon, they could circle back to Gay, McGruder, or Javonte Green, who was also waived this week. If the team isn’t enamored of any of those vets, it could look elsewhere on the free agent market. Promoting a two-way player to a standard contract and then signing a new two-way player would be another option.
Gay and McGruder will clear waivers on Monday, assuming they go unclaimed.
Bulls Waive Carlik Jones
5:44pm: Jones has been waived, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log.
1:22pm: The Bulls are waiving guard Carlik Jones, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
It has been a big year for Jones, who was named the 2023 G League MVP after averaging 26.1 points per game on .483/.360/.789 shooting in 24 regular season contests (38.3 MPG) while also contributing 7.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds per night. That performance helped earned him a promotion from his two-way contract to Chicago’s standard roster in March.
Jones then represented South Sudan during this summer’s World Cup, helping the program claim a spot in the 12-team Olympic field for the first time ever . The 25-year-old had some monster performances against international competition, averaging a double-double (20.4 PPG, 10.6 APG) in five World Cup games.
Unfortunately, it appears the Bulls’ cap and roster situation means that Jones is the odd man out to open the regular season. Chicago was hovering right around the luxury tax line with 13 players on guaranteed contracts and non-guaranteed salaries for Jones and Terry Taylor. The Bulls may intend to open the season with just 14 players on standard deals, with Terry making the team, though that hasn’t yet been confirmed.
Jones’ $1.93MM salary would have become partially guaranteed for $250K on opening night. Since he’ll be cut before then, Chicago won’t be on the hook for any of his salary. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent if he goes unclaimed on waivers and would be free to sign with any team (including the Bulls on a new deal).
Thunder Sign, Waive Jahmi’us Ramsey, Jaden Shackelford
5:43pm: Both Ramsey and Shackelford have been waived, per NBA.com’s transactions log.
11:57am: The Thunder continue to use the spots at the back end of their preseason roster to move players in and out in advance of the G League season. Having waived Caleb McConnell and Adam Flagler, Oklahoma City signed guards Jahmi’us Ramsey and Jaden Shackelford, the team announced today.
Both Ramsey and Shackelford played for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate last season, and I expect the plan is for them to return to the Blue this fall. Assuming they signed Exhibit 10 contracts, which is extremely likely, they’ll be eligible to receive bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with OKC’s G League club.
The 43rd overall pick in the 2020 draft, Ramsey appeared in 32 games for Sacramento in his first season-and-a-half in the NBA before being waived. Last season, he averaged 21.3 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 29.5 minutes per game across 34 appearances for the Blue, posting a shooting line of .511/.327/.793.
Shackelford joined the Blue after going undrafted out of Alabama in 2022. In his first G League season, he appeared in 44 games, putting up 13.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 1.3 APG on .409/.390/.742 shooting in 27.5 MPG.
The Thunder still have a full 21-man preseason roster and will have to trade or waive one more player even after they cut Ramsey and Shackelford.
Celtics Waive Wenyen Gabriel, DJ Steward
5:40pm: Both Gabriel and DJ Steward have been officially waived by the Celtics, per NBA.com’s transactions log.
9:56am: The Celtics are placing big man Wenyen Gabriel on waivers ahead of the regular season, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
A four-year NBA veteran, Gabriel spent last season with the Lakers, appearing in 68 games and averaging 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per night.
Gabriel signed with Boston at the start of training camp after the team included Robert Williams in its trade package for Jrue Holiday. Given the hit the Celtics’ frontcourt depth took in that deal, it appeared the 26-year-old had a path to a regular season roster spot.
However, Gabriel only received a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract, which offered no assurances beyond training camp and the preseason, and he was outperformed by two-way player Neemias Queta this month. Boston has also typically kept a 15-man roster spot open into the regular season in recent years, notes Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link).
In addition to their 10 players with guaranteed salaries, the Celtics have Luke Kornet, Svi Mykhailiuk, Dalano Banton, and Lamar Stevens on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals, with DJ Steward on an Exhibit 10 pact. It seems likely that Steward will be cut when Boston sets its regular season roster, with the other four making the team, though that has yet to be confirmed.
As for Gabriel, it’s unclear where his next stop might be. Since his contract with Boston didn’t include an Exhibit 10 bonus, he’s not an obvious candidate to join the Maine Celtics, the club’s G League affiliate.
Clippers Sign Joey Hauser, Cut Two Players
The Clippers have officially signed rookie forward Joey Hauser while waiving guard Nate Darling and forward Bryson Williams, the team announced today.
Hauser went undrafted out of Michigan State earlier this year. He averaged 14.4 points and 7.0 rebounds in 34.1 minutes per game in 34 appearances during his final college season, posting an impressive shooting line of .484/.461/.876.
Hauser, whose brother Sam Hauser plays for Boston, signed a two-way contract with the Jazz in July, but was waived last month when Utah decided to bring in Josh Christopher on a two-way deal. Signing him to an Exhibit 10 contract will give the Clippers his G League rights and will put Joey in line for a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the Ontario Clippers, L.A.’s G League team.
Darling and Williams, who joined the Clippers on Exhibit 10 deals of their own earlier this month, are likely ticketed for Ontario once they clear waivers.